Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits visited the Martand sun temple in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Sunday to perform the sacred ritual of ‘pind daan,’ as part of the Banmass Mela, praying for peace for the souls of their departed ancestors.
Ashok Siddha, the president of the mela management committee, expressed his gratitude to the local Muslims and the Anantnag district administration for their wholehearted support in conducting the event.
“This is an example of communal harmony and peace,” Siddha said. “The Muslim brethren have supported us, and I am thankful to the Muslim community and the district administration for their cooperation.”
The Kashmiri Hindu community also celebrates Krishna Jhoola at the temple every year, and during this festival, the Muslim community actively extends their support, distributing fruits as a gesture of unity.
“We celebrate this every three years, but I have never seen such a rush since 1990. We have established a ghat (for pooja) and also constructed toilet facilities for the devotees,” Siddha added.
The devotees performing ‘pind daan’ expressed their appreciation for the locals. Meenakshi, one of the devotees, said, “We do pind daan for our ancestors so that their souls are blessed. The locals are good, we have good relations with them.”
Jawahar Lal Pandita, an elderly Kashmiri Pandit, also acknowledged the cooperation extended by the local community.
A local Muslim resident from Mattan emphasised that the town has been an epitome of peace and communal harmony, and he believes it will continue to remain so.
